The National Football League has rescinded nearly $27,000 in fines against Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams after he successfully appealed penalties for celebrations that appeared to reference marijuana use, arguing that marijuana is legal in numerous states.
Williams won appeals of two fines totaling $26,867, including penalties of $14,926 and $11,941 stemming from celebrations during Detroit’s Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Williams disputed the league’s characterization of one celebration as offensive, arguing that marijuana is legal in some states if that was what his brief smoking gesture was intended to depict.
The celebration involved Williams appearing to take a puff from an imaginary smoking device before passing it to teammates. The gestures prompted disciplinary action under the NFL’s rules governing player celebrations.
Both fines were overturned by appeals officer Derrick Brooks, a former NFL linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“Although I rescinded this fine, please make every effort to celebrate with your teammates in the best professional manner possible,” Brooks wrote in his decision, according to Rapoport.
The decision comes amid increased scrutiny of the NFL’s celebration policies, particularly restrictions involving gestures associated with alcohol and drugs.
Earlier this month, the NFL and NFL Players Association issued a joint statement clarifying that players may imitate drinking a beverage during celebrations without facing punishment. However, the statement maintained that gestures depicting smoking or drug use remain prohibited and can result in fines, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties or both.
The statement also established that when a celebration falls into a gray area, the league will contact the player and provide guidance before imposing discipline.
Although Williams successfully appealed his penalties, the NFL has not announced any change to its prohibition on celebrations depicting marijuana consumption.
Recreational marijuana is legal in both Michigan, where Williams plays for the Lions, and New York, where the September 17 game against Buffalo took place.
